Anxiety Disorders in Children Support Group

Hi, my son is only in 6th grade but refuses to go, he is ADHD and has severe anxiety. It is a battle everyday to get him to go. I talked to the counselor at school, they let him stay in the counseling office until he feels confortable to go to class and slowly each day he goes to his classes earlier. He is in read 180, but not in special Ed they say hes too smart for that but yet he has always struggled. I know shes older, does she take meds for anxiety? Mine does not, that is a struggle too.

Have you looked into homeschooling your daughter?

Yes, she is on prozac and abilify for the anxiety/depression/ocd. It has helped. There was a lot of trial and error with other medications before finally settling on this combination of meds. The school has offered a place for her to go if her anxieties get the best of her, she is able to go to the counseling office to sit for a while. Sometimes it helps, sometimes she just can't pull it together. As far as homeschooling goes, she hates being home alone. That's how it would be because I work all day and her brothers are all in school. Today was the first day of school and she made it through all her classes but told me she almost cried a couple of times. I spent a long time talking about it with her and I think she feels better but that could all change come tomorrow morning when it's time to go to school. This is how it's been and it tears me up to see her struggle so much. I just don't know how things will turn out for her and I pray she'll be okay but I am scared the anxieties will win out and if they do, her depression feeds off of it and she starts thinking about suicide.

My daughter is going through the very same thing right now, having been sent home each day since school started this past Tuesday.

We're all trying different things for my 15 yr old, who also has Tourette Syndrome and is on Orap for that, which prevents her from being able to take most anti-anxiety medications as they all clash with the Orap.

She goes to a fantastic supportive school, and even the other students there are great. We're trying a new idea based on her comments that she has difficulty walking into the classrooms, especially when she's emotional so I wrote a letter to each of the teachers asking them if it would be possible to take a few minutes out of the class to explain to the other students what's going on with my dd, and ask them to help encourage her, which we are hoping will help her be able to feel more comfortable. She agreed that this may help so we'll see. Maybe you could do something similar?

In my experience, with my daughter, the 504 is the first step, then if that is found to not be enough, then they will pursue the IEP under "other health impaired" since academically she's fine, it's her anxiety and emotions that are preventing her from being able to do what needs doing. We're working on getting the IEP worked out in the next couple weeks. If you feel your daughter needs an IEP then work toward getting one. Here's what I found on the subject http://www.worrywisekids.org/schoo...
Google Anxiety IEP for more info too. Good luck.

I'm so sad and frustrated. She went the first day and attended all her classes but cried in the bathroom in between them. I cannot get her to go back. She isn't upset or depressed about it like she used to get though. She is just matter-of-fact about not going back. She's asking to be homeschooled. I'm not sure what to do about it. I looked a little bit online about homeschooling programs and I was soon overwhelmed by it all. How do I pick the right one? Should I keep fighting with her to get her back into school. I hate not knowing what to do! I keep second guessing myself.

I was going to suggest home education. My son has Autism Spectrum Disorder. He will be 15 in January and for 6 years and 3 months he has been home educated. He is now happy,safe and learning. One of the best things my hubby and I could of done for Thomas. On the spectrum he has Tics,Anxiety,ADHD,OCD,Learning disabilities. He has also suffered hearing voices which tell him to harm himself,for 2 years. He has been assessed by 2 psychiatrists about this problem,but both are certain it is part of the Autism and probaby caused by the anxiety and ocd. They think it is his thoughts. I wish you could have seen how miserable my son was at school. He is now an almost constant source of smiles.

I have the same problems with my son & his anxiety & not wanting to go to school. He is in 6th grade now, but it started when we moved in the middle of 4th grade & he had to change elementary schools (same district, different elementary schools). Turns out that he had trouble dealing with change & has social phobia along with his anxiety. New teachers, new kids & he had to learn some changes from one school to the other. He went the first couple of days & then he wouldn't go. We had to literally drag him to the guidance office everyday until he wouldn't get out of the car & then it turned into he wouldn't get out of bed to go to school. Winds up that he was afraid of his teacher, because she yelled. They changed teachers, but this already ruined it for the school & the principal didn't want to deal with it so, she sent him home half days. We didn't know what to do. He went a month & a half without class instruction, because he wouldn't go to class. We ended up taking him to counseling & a psychiatrist for medicine. The counselour & school ended up sending him back to his old school, hoping that keeping him with his friends for 1 more year for 5th grade would help before he started middle school in 6th grade, since all 4 elementary schools go to the same middle school anyway. Well, he went the 1st week of 6th grade & it all went down hill from there. He had to get used to a new school, some new kids, & new teachers. Besides that our neighbor girl started picking on him at the bus stop & then he decided not to go. His counselor put him in Day Hospital to help him with his anxiety for about 10 days. Thats it, because of ins. purposes. As for the school helping out, they are doing squat! Since he has been back to school they have tried giving him 2 after school detentions for stupid stuff & he had 5 days of lunch detention where he couldn't sit with his friends. They are looking for reasons to pick on him. This school is unbelieveable. The school has a no bullying policy, but how can they when the teachers do it? What a way to make a kid with anxiety not want to go! He has already missed alot of school. His counselor asked the school guidance councelor about a 504 plan & he is shying away from it saying "I don't know what we would put in it". What a cop out! I am very disappointed in the school system! Any suggestions on how to get the school to cooperate is appreciated!

It doesn't sound as though your son has a very good school counselor. Have you talked with the principal? My daughter's school has been wonderful. Even with that, I am worried she isn't going to be successful. She keeps going in and out of her moods. One day she is functioning great and actually enjoys school. The other days she is down on herself and the world looks bleak to her and she gives up. I don't know if this will ever change! Her life is one big roller coaster and it just never levels out. One minute she is level headed the next she is completely irrational. How can you get an education, or hold a job when you can't stay on track?